Iran begins war games in Strait of Hormuz
War games of Revolutionary Guard include naval, air, and ground units and will take place over three days under codename 'Great Prophet'
Iran's state television says the country's elite Revolutionary Guard has started large-scale war games in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The Thursday report says naval, air and ground units from the Guard will participate in the three-day games codenamed "The Great Prophet."
Iran annually holds military maneuvers in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which some 40 percent of the world's oil and energy supplies pass through, to show off its military capabilities.
This year's war games, however, could heighten tension at a time when the West is at a deepening standoff with Iran over its nuclear program. The West suspects the program conceals a nuclear arm production drive, a charge that Iran denies.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad extolled Iran's military might during an annual army parade on Sunday, saying the country is so powerful today that no one would dare attack it.
The parade in Tehran showcased Iran's surface-to-surface Ghadr, Sajjil and Shahab-3 missiles, which have a range of up to 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers), putting Israel and US bases in the region within Iran's reach.
